Automatic cut-off for gas-burners.



No. 777.565. PATBNTED DEC. 13, 1904. J. W. TATUM & W. H. PARKER. AUTOMATIC GUT-OFF FOR GAS BURNERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 9. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

Rani/1 uwnfozs TATUM t H- ARKER Q2;

UNTTE STATES Patented December 13, 1904.

PATENT OEETCE.

JAMES WV. TATUM, OF DURHAM, NORTH CAROLlNA, AND VVlLLlAM H.

PARKER, OF MABEN, lVIISSISSlPPI, ASSIGNORC TO ROBERT B. BOONE. JOHN W. SlVfYlTH, AND JAMES W. 'lATU M, ()F lIJURHA'h I', NORTH CA ROL'l NA AUTOMATIC) CUT-OFF FOR GAS-BUFKNERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,565, dated December 13, 1904.

Application filed September 9,1904. Serial No. 223,891. .No model.)

To all LU/L07 it um/y concern:

Be it known that we, James W. TATUM, residing at Durham, in the county of Durham and State of North Carolina, and NV ILLIAM H. PARKER, residing at Maben, in the county of Oktibbeha and State of Mississippi, citizens of the United States, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Uut-()lis for Gas-Burn ers, of which the following is a speciiication.

Our invention relates to improvements in attachments for gas-cocks to provide for automatically cutting off the [low of gas at the burner in an emergency, as in the event of the burner-flame becoming accidentally or inadvertently extinguished.

It has for its object to do this in an expeditions and effective manner and to simplify the construction and arrangement of the parts; and to these ends the invention consists of certain structural features, substantially as hereinafter fully disclosed, and particularly pointed out by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of our invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation thereof, the gascock beingshown open and the eliective parts of the cut-off or attachment represented in full lines in their initial position and in dotted lines in their final position, as when exposed to the action of the maximum heat of the burner-flame. Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the same, showing more especially the relation of the contacting and dilating bar, actuated lever, and the retaining stop pins or studs of the arm carried by or adjunctive of the gascock. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached view of the gas'coclccarried arm or adjunct with its lever-engaging pins or studs.

In the carrying out of our invention we suitably support or mount in position from the burner-tube 1 a metal bar 2, expansible or dilatable under the action of the heat of the burner-flame, as will be readily appreciated, said bar being arranged contiguously to and in vertical alinement with the burner-tip. As

the preferred way of thus supporting said bar two upstanding studs or posts 3 and 3 are fixed oppositely to each other and to connecting-plates 3, secured rigidly to the burnertube 1, one of said studs or posts having suitably secured or fixed thereto near its extreme upper end one end of said bar. To the opposite free end of said bar is connected the upper end of a preferably thin or light platemetal lover a, fulcrumed, as at l, in a laterally cxtended or deflected upper end portion of the other of the studs or posts 3, with its fulcrum or pivot so arranged or juxtaposed to said bar as that said lever will quickly respond to the slightest movement or dilation of said bar under the action of the burnerflame heat, as will be readily appreciated for the purpose later made apparent. Said plate or lever has its lower end depending within and guided by an elongated slot 5", produced in the lowest step of a preferably stepped bracket 5, suitably held in place upon the burner.-tul )e. Said lower end of the lever or plate has projecting therefrom a short distance below the lower step of said bracket 5 a projection 4 formed by a reduction of said lover or plate the function of which will presently appear.

To the gas-cock key (3 is suitably secured a bar or arm 7, reaching outward therefrom such a distance as to describe an arc of movement when said key .is actuated or turned which would be intercepted by a line passing vertically throi'igh the lover or plate at. Said arm has upstanding therefrom at its outer end duplicate studs or pins 7 and 7, arranged or spaced one inward from and out of parallel line with the other and so that the outer one, 7, will have initial engagement with the projection t" of the lever A and so that said projection will subsequently or successively have engagement with the inner pin or stud 7, as more fully explained hereinalt'ter. .In other words, the projection A" of the lever t would when engaged by the pin 7 occupy a position intermediary of said pin and the pin 7* and yet not be intercepted by the pin 7 as the projection A" becomes disengaged from the pin 7, as presently explained.

The projection l of the lever L is of greater lateral area than the interval between the pins or studs 7 and 7 to provide as said projection escapes from the stud 7, as when the-bar 2 is being dilated by the gas-flame action, for the subsequent engagement of said projection with the other pin or stud, 7", to preventthe spring 8 actuating the gas-key, which would shut off the flow of gas, as is obvious.

To the stem of the gas-cock above its housing in the gas-pipe is applied a helical spring 8, whose normal tension tends to turn said cock to closed position.

It is noted first in adjusting the gas-cock to its open position, as in turning on the flow of gas, that just before reaching the limit of such movement it is to be forced downward, as in overcoming the also upward-exerted pressure of the spring 8, a certain amount of vertical movement being provided for said cock within its housing. The downward forcing of the key or gas-cock is to permit the disposition of the outer pin or stud 7 of the arm 7 at the near side of the projection 4 of the lever 4 with respect to the operator, the spring 8 automatically elevating the cock to normal position and efl' ecting the retention of the said stud or pin initially in contact with said projection and at that time preventing the return of the gascock to closed position under the action of said spring. The gas having been ignited, the heat of the flame generated thereby will gradually dilate the bar 2, resulting in the moving inward of the lower end of the lever or plate 4 and the consequent disengagement of its lower end projection 4" from theouter pin 7 of the arm 7 and the subsequent or successive engagement. of the inner pin or stud 7 or said arm by said projection 42 as the bar 2 reaches its maximum dilation. Therefore it would follow in the event of the flame becoming extinguished by accident or inadvertence that upon the contraction of said bar or return to normal conditions said projection would become disengaged finally from the inner pin 7 with the outward movement of the lower end of said lever due to such contraction of said bar, as is obvious, accordingly releasing said arm, when the spring 8 would immediately act to close the gas-cock and shut off the flow of gas.

Latitude, it will be understood, is allowed as to details herein, as they Will be changed as circumstances suggest without departing from the spirit of our invention.

e claim- 1. A device of the character described, employing a dilatable bar arranged to be exposed to the action of the gas-flame from the burner and having connected to its free end a lever, and an arm carried by the gas-cock equipped with studs or pins adapted to initially and subsequently engage said lever as the latter is moved by the dilatation of said bar respectively, and means for automatically returning the gas-cock to its closed position.

2. A device of the character described, employing a dilatable bar arranged to be exposed to the action of the gas-flame from the burner, and having connected to its free end a lever, and an arm carried by the gas-cock, equipped with studs or pins, said lever having its lower end adapted to engage successively said pins or studs under the heating action of the gasflame.

3. A device of the character described, employing a dilatable bar arranged to receive the heating action of the gas-flame from the burner and having attached to its free end a lever, a gas-cock having its stem equipped with a spring effective to close said cock, and an arm fixed to said gas-cock stem and equipped with studs or pins adapted to have successive contact with the lower end of said lever under the action of said gas-flame.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES W. TATUM. WILLIAM H. PARKER. Witnesses:

BENNETT S. JONES, AUGUST PETERSON. 

